Uniplan Appoints Karen Arndt Chief Global Development Officer

We are glad to announce to all our friends and parnters the appointment of Karen Arndt as Chief Global Development Officer based in Hong Kong. She will take the lead in establishing new services, tap into innovative technologies and open up new markets for Uniplan. 

Karen is no stranger to Uniplan. She worked for the agency in China from 2006 to 2015, has successfully established Uniplan’s presence in Guangzhou, and expanded the team significantly in Shanghai. Before her return to the field of Live Communication, Karen served as Chief Operating Officer for the venture capital company Nest in Hong Kong. The firm supports selected startup companies with financing and business acceleration programmes. There, she acquired a range of skills in the fields of startup marketing and technical and innovation management. 

"We have already consolidated our position in China. But the Asian market still has much more potential to offer. With my return to Uniplan, I now have the opportunity to apply my expertise in local consumer and communication behaviour, as well as in market mechanisms. The aim is also to anchor Uniplan in new markets, expand business and establish the agency throughout Asia," says Karen. Above all, she will strengthen creative and digital competence in Asia and collaboration between the Asian offices.

Christian Zimmermann, CEO and owner of Uniplan, adds: "It is a great challenge for owner-led agencies to gain a foothold in the Asian market and carve out a place for themselves in the long term. With our 30 years' experience, we are now helping more and more Asian companies to expand into Europe. Because it is particularly important for them to have an agency partner that can build a bridge between both continents. With Karen, we have regained a proven expert who will help to continue that trend by working with some of China’s rising giants such as Alibaba or TCL. She not only has a detailed knowledge of our agency and the culture here, but is able to assess the long-term value of innovations and technologies for both the European and Asian markets. This will take us a major step forward among the growing economies of the region."

Stay tuned for more exciting news from Uniplan!